ٱسْتَكْثَرْ
Appears 2 times in Quran
📖 Lane's Lexicon
Classical definitions for root كثر
Derived Stems (75)
Derived Words (3)
Words derived from the lemma "ٱسْتَكْثَرْ".
- you sought to make subservient to yourselves a great many
- I should have secured abundance
- seeking to get more
Occurrences in Quran
Found 2 verses containing "ٱسْتَكْثَرْ".
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ قَدِ ٱسْتَكْثَرْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ ۖ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ رَبَّنَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَآ أَجَلَنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا ۚ قَالَ ٱلنَّارُ مَثْوَىٰكُمْ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
7:39-40; 10:29; 34:32.
مَعْشَرْ (Mashar) 的意思是, 做同样事务的一伙人 (Lane)。这节经文中精这个单词清楚地意指反对 اِنْس (Ins, 弱而贫穷阶层的人) 的那些有权势的巨头。
这句阿拉伯话的意思可以是: (1) 你们已经把老百姓中的许多人争取到你的一边并使他们听从你的话; (2) 你们已经剥削或利用了他们; (3) 你们已经把群众放在非常重要的位置, 也就是说, 你们出于害怕群众不再跟从你们而未接受真理。正如薄弱的人们害怕大人物而不接受真理, 同样地, 大人物有时害怕他们的跟从者抛弃他们而不接受真理。
这节经文提供了另外一个证明:此处 Jinn (精纳) 这个单词的意思只是一个阶层的人, 即有权势的大人物。因为剥削一个阶层的人, 只能是另一阶层的人。Jinn 如作为与人不同的存在物, 是从来也不剥削人的, 也从来没看到过安拉的使者是从他们中间选拔出来的。
جنّوں سے مراد بڑے لوگ ہیں۔ کیونکہ وہ ڈیوڑھیوں اور دربانوں کے پیچھے لوگوں سے چھپے رہتے ہیں۔
یعنی ان کی پارٹی کے عام آدمی۔
7:39, 40; 10:29; 34:32.
Ma‘shar means, a company of men whose affair is the same (Lane). In this verse the word jinn clearly signifies great and powerful men as opposed to Ins, i.e. the weak and poor classes.
The Arabic words may mean: (1) You have won over many from among the common masses to your side and have made them follow you; (2) you have exploited them; (3) you have attached great importance to the masses, i.e. you did not accept the Truth out of fear lest the masses should cease to follow you. Just as weak people do not accept the Truth out of fear of the great, similarly the great ones are sometimes afraid of their followers and do not accept the Truth out of fear lest they should desert them.
The verse provides another proof of the fact that by the word "jinn" is here meant only a class of human beings, viz. the great and the powerful, for it is only one class of men that exploits another class, jinn as beings different from men have never been found to exploit men, neither are Divine Messengers known to have ever been raised among them.
7:39-40; 10:29; 34:32.
Important Words:
معشر (company) is derived from عشر. They say عشر المال i.e. he took one-tenth of the property. عشرھم means, he took one from among them, they being ten. عشرة and عشر mean, ten. معشر means, a company; a collective body; a community; a family. It is so called because a company or community consists of many individuals, the word عشرة (ten) being that large and perfect number after which there is no number but what is composed of the units comprised in it (Lane).
الجن (jinn) is derived from جن (janna). They say جنه i.e. he veiled, concealed, hid, covered or protected him or it. That is the primary significance which is retained in all the derivations of the word. Thus a garden is known as جنة (jannat) because its trees cover or conceal the ground. A child in its mother’s womb is known as جنن because it lies concealed in the womb. The heart is known as جنان because it lies concealed in the bosom. A grave is known as جنن because it conceals the dead body. The piece of cloth worn by a woman is known as جنة (junnah) because it covers her head and bosom. A shield is known مجنة as because it covers and protects the fighter. Madness or insanity is known as جنون because it obscures and, as it were, veils the faculty of reason. A serpent is known as جان because it generally lies concealed in holes or dark corners. Similarly, جن (jinn) are so called because they are considered to be invisible bodies concealed from human sight. جن also means the prime or first part of a thing, probably because it covers or conceals the main body that follows (Lisan & Taj). For a fuller discussion of the word and an explanation of the jinn see note on 15:28. See also 6:101.
استکثرتم (you sought to make subservient to yourselves a great many) is derived from کثر which means, it was or became much or abundant or many or numerous. استکثر من الشیء means, he desired or wished much of the thing; or he reckoned it much, abundant or many (Lane). استکثرتم منھم signifies, you have misled many of them; or you have made many of them follow you; or you have made them subservient to yourselves (Kashshaf).
مثوی (abode) is derived from ثوی. They say ثوی بالمکان i.e. he remained, stayed, or abode in the place; or he stayed or dwelt long in it; he settled in the place; he alighted at the place. So مثوی means, a place where one remains, stays, dwells or abides; an abode or a dwelling; a place of alighting (Lane).
Commentary:
The verse definitely proves that at least here the Quran does not use the word jinn to signify a species other than mankind. The very words and the only possible signification of the verse contradict that sense. The word as used in this verse, which thus holds a sort of key position, cannot but mean great and powerful men as opposed to the weak and poor classes. The word جن as shown under Important Words is derived from a root which means to hide or conceal. As the beings properly known as jinn are hidden from the eyes of men, therefore, they have been called جن. The great men have also been called jinn because they very rarely mix with the general public and remain, as it were, hidden from them.
The sentence قد استکثرتم من الانس (you have sought to make subservient to yourselves a great many from among men) has two meanings: (1) you have taken to yourselves many from among the masses, i.e. you have won them over to your side and made them follow you and have thus misled them; (2) you have reckoned the masses to be many (as against God), i.e. you have attached more importance to the masses than to God; you did not accept the truth out of fear of the masses, lest they should desert you and cease to hold you in honour. It is indeed strange that just as the weak do not sometimes accept the truth out of fear of the great, lest they should inflict loss or pain on them, similarly the great are sometimes afraid of their humbler followers and do not accept the truth, fearing lest the latter should turn away from them and desert them. Heraclius, for instance, was convinced of the truth of the Holy Prophet but did not openly acknowledge it out of the fear of his subjects who, he thought, were bitterly opposed to Islam and would rebel against him, if he declared his faith (Bukhari).
The words, we profited from one another, imply that the friendships of disbelievers are also transitory and that they will fall out among themselves on the Day of Judgement. The poor will say: "We led lives of humiliation in subjection to the big ones who derived profit from us. So, o Lord, inflict upon them a double punishment." This also shows that the word jinn, here, does not refer to any creatures separate from human beings but to a special class of men; for if taken in that sense the above-quoted words cannot apply to them, for human beings do not profit from the genii nor the genii from human beings. It is only one class of man that profits by the other, i.e. the great profit by the poor and vice versa.
The words, The Fire is your abode, are addressed to the humble class of people who pleaded that they were merely tools in the hands of the great. They are told that no pleading can do them any good now, and that they must enter the Fire and remain there until God is pleased to deliver them therefrom. Both the big and the poor are alike guilty.
e
7:39-40; 10:29; 34:32.
459
مَعْشَرْ (Mashar) 的意思是, 做同样事务的一伙人 (Lane)。这节经文中精这个单词清楚地意指反对 اِنْس (Ins, 弱而贫穷阶层的人) 的那些有权势的巨头。
460
这句阿拉伯话的意思可以是: (1) 你们已经把老百姓中的许多人争取到你的一边并使他们听从你的话; (2) 你们已经剥削或利用了他们; (3) 你们已经把群众放在非常重要的位置, 也就是说, 你们出于害怕群众不再跟从你们而未接受真理。正如薄弱的人们害怕大人物而不接受真理, 同样地, 大人物有时害怕他们的跟从者抛弃他们而不接受真理。
461
这节经文提供了另外一个证明:此处 Jinn (精纳) 这个单词的意思只是一个阶层的人, 即有权势的大人物。因为剥削一个阶层的人, 只能是另一阶层的人。Jinn 如作为与人不同的存在物, 是从来也不剥削人的, 也从来没看到过安拉的使者是从他们中间选拔出来的。
3
جنّوں سے مراد بڑے لوگ ہیں۔ کیونکہ وہ ڈیوڑھیوں اور دربانوں کے پیچھے لوگوں سے چھپے رہتے ہیں۔
4
یعنی ان کی پارٹی کے عام آدمی۔
b
7:39-40; 10:29; 34:32.
869
Important Words:
معشر (company) is derived from عشر. They say عشر المال i.e. he took one-tenth of the property. عشرھم means, he took one from among them, they being ten. عشرة and عشر mean, ten. معشر means, a company; a collective body; a community; a family. It is so called because a company or community consists of many individuals, the word عشرة (ten) being that large and perfect number after which there is no number but what is composed of the units comprised in it (Lane).
الجن (jinn) is derived from جن (janna). They say جنه i.e. he veiled, concealed, hid, covered or protected him or it. That is the primary significance which is retained in all the derivations of the word. Thus a garden is known as جنة (jannat) because its trees cover or conceal the ground. A child in its mother’s womb is known as جنن because it lies concealed in the womb. The heart is known as جنان because it lies concealed in the bosom. A grave is known as جنن because it conceals the dead body. The piece of cloth worn by a woman is known as جنة (junnah) because it covers her head and bosom. A shield is known مجنة as because it covers and protects the fighter. Madness or insanity is known as جنون because it obscures and, as it were, veils the faculty of reason. A serpent is known as جان because it generally lies concealed in holes or dark corners. Similarly, جن (jinn) are so called because they are considered to be invisible bodies concealed from human sight. جن also means the prime or first part of a thing, probably because it covers or conceals the main body that follows (Lisan & Taj). For a fuller discussion of the word and an explanation of the jinn see note on 15:28. See also 6:101.
استکثرتم (you sought to make subservient to yourselves a great many) is derived from کثر which means, it was or became much or abundant or many or numerous. استکثر من الشیء means, he desired or wished much of the thing; or he reckoned it much, abundant or many (Lane). استکثرتم منھم signifies, you have misled many of them; or you have made many of them follow you; or you have made them subservient to yourselves (Kashshaf).
مثوی (abode) is derived from ثوی. They say ثوی بالمکان i.e. he remained, stayed, or abode in the place; or he stayed or dwelt long in it; he settled in the place; he alighted at the place. So مثوی means, a place where one remains, stays, dwells or abides; an abode or a dwelling; a place of alighting (Lane).
Commentary:
The verse definitely proves that at least here the Quran does not use the word jinn to signify a species other than mankind. The very words and the only possible signification of the verse contradict that sense. The word as used in this verse, which thus holds a sort of key position, cannot but mean great and powerful men as opposed to the weak and poor classes. The word جن as shown under Important Words is derived from a root which means to hide or conceal. As the beings properly known as jinn are hidden from the eyes of men, therefore, they have been called جن. The great men have also been called jinn because they very rarely mix with the general public and remain, as it were, hidden from them.
The sentence قد استکثرتم من الانس (you have sought to make subservient to yourselves a great many from among men) has two meanings: (1) you have taken to yourselves many from among the masses, i.e. you have won them over to your side and made them follow you and have thus misled them; (2) you have reckoned the masses to be many (as against God), i.e. you have attached more importance to the masses than to God; you did not accept the truth out of fear of the masses, lest they should desert you and cease to hold you in honour. It is indeed strange that just as the weak do not sometimes accept the truth out of fear of the great, lest they should inflict loss or pain on them, similarly the great are sometimes afraid of their humbler followers and do not accept the truth, fearing lest the latter should turn away from them and desert them. Heraclius, for instance, was convinced of the truth of the Holy Prophet but did not openly acknowledge it out of the fear of his subjects who, he thought, were bitterly opposed to Islam and would rebel against him, if he declared his faith (Bukhari).
The words, we profited from one another, imply that the friendships of disbelievers are also transitory and that they will fall out among themselves on the Day of Judgement. The poor will say: "We led lives of humiliation in subjection to the big ones who derived profit from us. So, o Lord, inflict upon them a double punishment." This also shows that the word jinn, here, does not refer to any creatures separate from human beings but to a special class of men; for if taken in that sense the above-quoted words cannot apply to them, for human beings do not profit from the genii nor the genii from human beings. It is only one class of man that profits by the other, i.e. the great profit by the poor and vice versa.
The words, The Fire is your abode, are addressed to the humble class of people who pleaded that they were merely tools in the hands of the great. They are told that no pleading can do them any good now, and that they must enter the Fire and remain there until God is pleased to deliver them therefrom. Both the big and the poor are alike guilty.
b
7:39, 40; 10:29; 34:32.
908
Ma‘shar means, a company of men whose affair is the same (Lane). In this verse the word jinn clearly signifies great and powerful men as opposed to Ins, i.e. the weak and poor classes.
909
The Arabic words may mean: (1) You have won over many from among the common masses to your side and have made them follow you; (2) you have exploited them; (3) you have attached great importance to the masses, i.e. you did not accept the Truth out of fear lest the masses should cease to follow you. Just as weak people do not accept the Truth out of fear of the great, similarly the great ones are sometimes afraid of their followers and do not accept the Truth out of fear lest they should desert them.
910
The verse provides another proof of the fact that by the word "jinn" is here meant only a class of human beings, viz. the great and the powerful, for it is only one class of men that exploits another class, jinn as beings different from men have never been found to exploit men, neither are Divine Messengers known to have ever been raised among them.
قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
10:50; 72:22.
2:120; 5:20; 11:3.
Commentary:
By the word "good" in the sentence, I should have secured abundance of good, is meant no material good, but spiritual good. As for material good, it is well-known that it did come to the Holy Prophet, but he discarded it, praying to God in the words اللھم احیینی مسکیناوامتنی مسکینا i.e. "My God, make me live the life of a poor man and let death come to me when I am poor" (Tirmidhi). So by the word "good" is here meant, not worldly good or riches but spiritual good or the good of Islam, which the Holy Prophet so ardently desired.
The word "unseen" in the clause, If I had knowledge of the unseen, means the secret ways of purifying men’s hearts which are known to God alone (16:10). The Holy Prophet is thus represented as saying: "'If I had known the secret and hidden ways by which men’s hearts are turned to truth, I would have certainly used them and would have made all of you accept the true Faith."
The expression, and evil should not have touched me, means that in the event of my having won over all men to Islam, there would have been no war.
h
10:50; 72:22.
i
2:120; 5:20; 11:3.
a
10:50; 72:22.
b
2:120; 5:20; 11:3.
1075
Commentary:
By the word "good" in the sentence, I should have secured abundance of good, is meant no material good, but spiritual good. As for material good, it is well-known that it did come to the Holy Prophet, but he discarded it, praying to God in the words اللھم احیینی مسکیناوامتنی مسکینا i.e. "My God, make me live the life of a poor man and let death come to me when I am poor" (Tirmidhi). So by the word "good" is here meant, not worldly good or riches but spiritual good or the good of Islam, which the Holy Prophet so ardently desired.
The word "unseen" in the clause, If I had knowledge of the unseen, means the secret ways of purifying men’s hearts which are known to God alone (16:10). The Holy Prophet is thus represented as saying: "'If I had known the secret and hidden ways by which men’s hearts are turned to truth, I would have certainly used them and would have made all of you accept the true Faith."
The expression, and evil should not have touched me, means that in the event of my having won over all men to Islam, there would have been no war.
b
10:50; 72:22.
c
2:120; 5:20; 11:3.